Electoral dysfunction

...a dispatch from bewilderness

Imagine trying to catch a flight, but half the metal detectors are closed and most of the TSA employees have been sacked by Mr. Musk. Then imagine seeing the orange guy on TV in the airport -- looking quite annoyed. Of course. This time he's pissed at journalists for 1. always trying to put his words in context 2. recording what he says and 3. receiving classified information that could get U.S. pilots killed from his Heads of Security.

But where am I going with this post. Let’s see. This piece will interest anyone concerned about losing some or all of their marbles, as I have, and anyone interested in electoral dysfunction, as is the case when someone no one elected is running the U.S. government. Not to mention, large parts of global commerce/communication and countless elections here and abroad.

I was going to return to the topic of airports, but am turning instead to childhood and astronomy. They have a lot in common. Both are voyages across huge distances. Both search for facts beyond their grasp. Both theorize wildly and let possibilities multiply without limits. Both are humbled every few weeks. Both operate out of ignorance. Both are mystified much of the time. Both are forever starting out.

As am I.

This brings us to facts. We used to have facts and we used to have fact-checkers, too. This was when I began in media, way before the internet, which means it was also before internet porn. If it weren’t for internet porn, humans would have way more time on their hands. Especially on men’s hands. So much time and cognition, we might have accomplished something important. Like learning to save the planet or cure cancer, perhaps.

But back to marbles or lack thereof, one of the challenges of becoming brain damaged late in life, is how other people think of me. They think therefore I am. Sometimes they think I am more capable than I am. Sometimes they think I am less capable than I am. Sometimes they think I couldn't possibly swing from pretty smart to pretty dumb in milliseconds. I can. This is called a cognitive swing.

Fyi, years of not reading books about spirituality and stress management did not help me at all since I didn’t read them. Instead, I’m bursting with things I don't have the skill for or the words for or the brain for. But here’s one piece of advice.

collage and paint by Judith Hannah Weiss